Is the Six Flags Flash Pass Worth It?

Should You Get a Flash Pass? Are Six Flags Flash Passes Worth It?Flash Passes are electronic or paper-based systems that guests can use to bypass lines at amusement parks and in essence skip to the front of the line. I’ll never forget my last visit to Six Flags Great Adventure. El Toro had just opened and the wait was somewhere around 2 hours. Thanks to my flash pass, I simply made an appointment via the Q-Bot pager-like device and came back in a few minutes. I walked right past the masses waiting in the sweltering heat. At that point, I only had to wait a few minutes in the station and I was sitting comfortably in my #2 coaster of all time. Sure, the picture I’ve painted sounds cool, but Flash Passes and similar ‘skip to the front’ systems cost money. Is a flash pass right for you? Here are a few things to consider that might help you make a decision.

What Do You Do at Theme Parks?
If you’re like me and mainly just ride roller coasters then Flash Passes might be for you. Obviously, coasters are the most popular attractions at amusement parks and have the longest lines. Skipping past these lines so you can ride more roller coasters instead of spending most of the day waiting for them is a no-brainer. But, if you experience everything including drop towers, log flumes, spinning flat rides, and you visit the water park and might take in a show, then you might not mind missing a roller coaster or two because you’ve enjoyed most everything else that the park has to offer.

Are You Likely to Revisit the Theme Park?If it’s your home park that you visit three or four times a summer then I can’t imagine that you would need a flash pass. Certainly you’ll eventually get a ride even on the coasters with the longest waits. I fall into the opposite camp and I visit a lot of parks for the first and possibly the only time. After my flight across the country for Six Flags Magic Mountain, you’d better believe that my goal was to ride every roller coaster possible as a return trip definitely wasn’t guaranteed. This made the choice to buy a flash pass for that visit pretty easy.

How Are the Wait Times & Crowds at the Theme Park?Wait times are an essential factor in the decision to buy a flash pass or not. If you’re going to visit a really popular park like Six Flags Great Adventure or Cedar Point you’re likely to run into some pretty big crowds. The same goes for the day that you’re planning to visit. If you can squeeze in a trip before school’s out or in the fall when crowds are smaller then you may not need the pass in the first place.

My Take
I’m all for flash passes, but I’m not the typical theme park guest. I travel far to parks that I won’t likely return to and I’m there just for the roller coasters. As long as I’m visiting a popular park during peak season, then I’m likely to pay extra to make sure that I ride the coasters that I traveled for. Hopefully, the tips above can help you decide whether these passes are right for your next theme park trip.